Dakota Spotlight S5 – A Better Search for Barbara

Photo of Barbara Louise Cotton, the 15-year-old at the center of the 1981 Barbara Cotton disappearance case in Williston, North Dakota.

The Barbara Cotton disappearance is one of North Dakota’s longest-running cold cases. On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Louise Cotton vanished while walking home in Williston, North Dakota. According to official records, she was last seen after having dinner with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. For decades, Barbara’s case received little attention and few answers.

In Season 5 of Dakota Spotlight, A Better Search for Barbara, journalist James Wolner investigates what really happened. What began as a plan for a five-part series turned into a 21-episode journey spanning North Dakota, Montana, and California. As new persons of interest emerge and old leads are revisited, this season offers the most in-depth investigation ever conducted into the disappearance of Barbara Cotton.

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Episode 1: The Barbara Cotton disappearance begins with a 15-year-old vanishing from Williston, North Dakota in 1981

Episode 2: A childhood friend refuses to stop searching for Barbara

Episode 3: A closer look at Barbara’s family, friends, and final day

Episode 4: The runaway theory and problems with the original missing person investigation

Episode 5: New questions about Barbara’s boyfriend and his possible connection to the Barbara Cotton disappearance

Episode 6: Searching police records and overlooked early details

Episode 7: A tip from California leads to an unexpected name

Episode 8: A mysterious letter and a potential witness emerge

Episode 9: Digging into Barbara’s school life and teenage circles

Episode 10: Interview with a former officer who investigated the Barbara Cotton disappearance

Episode 11: Visiting Barbara’s old neighborhood in Williston

Episode 12: Tracking down leads in Montana and a man with a history

Episode 13: The trail goes cold again but the search to solve this cold case continues

Episode 14: Revisiting early assumptions and gaps in the missing teen case

Episode 15: A closer look at three potential persons of interest in the Barbara Cotton disappearance

Episode 16: Family reflections and the emotional cost of decades of silence

Episode 17: What forensic records and timelines reveal about the case

Episode 18: Uncovering inconsistencies in witness statements

Episode 19: What happened to Barbara Cotton—sorting theory from fact

Episode 20: The Barbara Cotton disappearance today and what’s next in the search for answers

Episode 21: A 1981 eyewitness recalls seeing Barbara Cotton and the response from authorities